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Old 05-20-2020, 08:57 AM   #21
oneofmanynameless
 
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

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Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice View Post
I'm firmly of the mind that a good setting might begin with the real world, but it does not end there. Limiting oneself to only what is can force you not to see what could be.
Preach it!
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That said what I'm seeking are the possible ramifications for having access to crafters who can also perform magic. What technology might be possible having access to supernatural powers? What might change in the campaign setting because of it? And what cool ideas would you use if you were running such a campaign.
I'm always in love with enchanting so that's one place I always go. So basic question: is it possible to infuse a substance with magic and/or chi? Metal tempered with chi for example. Thinking about what sort of supernatural materials could arise from substances being inundated with the energies responsible for a particular type of supernatural power could yield some interesting options: a Chi infused blade might be simply a higher quality blade or maybe it's not possible to keep the chi in the blade so it's really just an imbuement or some of the explanation behind a power attack... or because chi is life-force it could yield a metal blade that is alive like a living plant, "healing" minor knicks and scratchs and responding to chi in its environment somehow.
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Old 05-20-2020, 11:37 AM   #22
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

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Preach it!
:-)

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Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless View Post
I'm always in love with enchanting so that's one place I always go. So basic question: is it possible to infuse a substance with magic and/or chi? Metal tempered with chi for example. Thinking about what sort of supernatural materials could arise from substances being inundated with the energies responsible for a particular type of supernatural power could yield some interesting options: a Chi infused blade might be simply a higher quality blade or maybe it's not possible to keep the chi in the blade so it's really just an imbuement or some of the explanation behind a power attack... or because chi is life-force it could yield a metal blade that is alive like a living plant, "healing" minor knicks and scratchs and responding to chi in its environment somehow.
Enchanting is currently possible. I am going to have to bust out my Crafting Imbuements to use to create new modifiers for weapons. (Which is what it was intended to do while also creating a new system for "enchantment".)

In the setting there are these items called "Shenshou" (Godhand) which can be weapons (and often are), armor, shields, or even non-weapon items like musical instruments or jewelry. They function like artifacts from DF6, but I wrote about 10000 words of new powers, put a random roll table in for said powers, and then had my players use them. So far I have four PCs with a shenshou (paired butterfly swords, giant honking sword, double-bladed jian, and a chain whip). The fluff around the shenshou is that they were once wielded by the Immortal Warriors of the gods, but the Immortal Warriors betrayed the gods/left one day and their discorded weapons/armor/gear were taken up by mortal men and women. The more an item is used, the bigger it's "golden core" (the source of its power) is increased as part of the users qi is passed onto it through use. Obviously, I don't want PCs making these so they can only be found or passed down from others.

Part of this thread's purpose is for me to decide how enchantment and magic might affect my setting. It's high fantasy so it's kind of expected that magic could change things. Magic itself is fairly common (as noted above) and you have to be born with the gift. Most folks just have one or two powers without any Sorcerous Empowerment. But even one spell can be powerful if it's the right one.
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Old 05-20-2020, 03:33 PM   #23
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

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Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice View Post
Enchanting is currently possible. I am going to have to bust out my Crafting Imbuements to use to create new modifiers for weapons. (Which is what it was intended to do while also creating a new system for "enchantment".)

In the setting there are these items called "Shenshou" (Godhand) which can be weapons (and often are), armor, shields, or even non-weapon items like musical instruments or jewelry. They function like artifacts from DF6, but I wrote about 10000 words of new powers, put a random roll table in for said powers, and then had my players use them. So far I have four PCs with a shenshou (paired butterfly swords, giant honking sword, double-bladed jian, and a chain whip). The fluff around the shenshou is that they were once wielded by the Immortal Warriors of the gods, but the Immortal Warriors betrayed the gods/left one day and their discorded weapons/armor/gear were taken up by mortal men and women. The more an item is used, the bigger it's "golden core" (the source of its power) is increased as part of the users qi is passed onto it through use. Obviously, I don't want PCs making these so they can only be found or passed down from others.

Part of this thread's purpose is for me to decide how enchantment and magic might affect my setting. It's high fantasy so it's kind of expected that magic could change things. Magic itself is fairly common (as noted above) and you have to be born with the gift. Most folks just have one or two powers without any Sorcerous Empowerment. But even one spell can be powerful if it's the right one.
Shenshou sound super cool and like the type of mechanic that would be really satisfying advancement for players.

You mentioned alchemy is a thing so just brainstorming supernatural materials that alchemy and magic could produce.
Ignoring elements with negative relationships with one another (which should absolutely matter) and assuming that the creation of these substances requires something like Create (cosmic: essential element, transformation only: normal to cosmic)
Air chi infused Metal: might be substantially lighter, which wouldn't matter too much for fencing weapons but for other weapons would substantially impact the leverage involved, potentially eliminating the offensive benefits of using a levered striking surface but making quick parries easier. Would make heavy armor less encumbering, which is highly desirable. Could also make a variety of low tech vehicles that proved too heavy for muscle power or for the materials of the time to hold up sufficiently viable to be used if you could procure enough of the metal, such as davinci's flying machine, or armored wagons.
Earth chi infused Metal: Makes a really soft clay like metal, great for artists and sculpting, potentially very useful but I'm not sure what for
Fire chi infused Metal: A metal that naturally burns at all times with a relatively cool fire. Flaming swords are an obvious one. This could also be used in battlements to thoroughly discourage the use of ladders.
Metal chi infused Metal: Classic essential metal: 3x as strong and mostly won't degrade.
Water chi infused Metal: Great for making high flexibility metals that allow plate armor over areas where there is often trade-off of defense vs. flexibility such as the abdomen or shoulders. Also, high flexibility metals could yield good springs and I'm not enough of a mechanic to foresee all the ramifications of that sort of thing.
Wood chi infused Metal: Metal that sort of "grows": give it water and sunlight and it'll make minor repairs to itself over time within reason. Highly prized by Xia for the reduced cost of maintenance, especially on armor which sees a beating and is expensive.

Not everything alchemists produce is good for society:
Fire Wine: Illegal everywhere, this infamous party drug of the rich is still produced by disreputable alchemists with a talent for fire-magic, who find they can fetch a very high price for it on the black market. The liquid is a dark brownish red, with the red color coming out strongly when light shines through it, and is perpetually on fire when exposed to air. It is actually a combination of condensed black tea and distilled rice-wine, infused with fire-chi (or fire magic). The fire-chi(/magic) enhances the stimulent qualities of the tea and the intensity of the alcohol, while reinforcing the individuals yang energies into dominance. A single shot of the alcohol acts as quadruple strength spirits (B439) and a strong stimulant (B440), while also giving the individual a yang dominant chi imbalance causing them to gain Impulsiveness (12), Lecherousness (12), a quirk level desire for easy pleasures, noticably hot and dry skin, -2 to HT rolls to resist disease, -3 to HT rolls to resist the effects of heat, and +2 to HT rolls to resist the effects of cold. If he already has those mental disadvantages the self control number gets two steps worse (anything worse than a 6 means he's completely incapable of resisting his impulses!). Make a HT-2 roll after 3d hours, and again for each hour thereafter, to shake off these chi-imbalance effects. The intoxication and stimulant effects wear off normally for those things. However, when the Yang imbalance fades it is replaced with a Yin imbalance "low" in which the individual gains Bully (12) largely expressed through a quirk level tendency to spiteful remarks, lecherousness (12), noticeably clammy skin, -2 to HT rolls to resist disease; -3 to HT rolls to resist the effects of cold, and +2 to HT rolls to resist the effects of heat. The Yin imbalance lasts as long as the Yang imbalance did.
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Old 05-20-2020, 03:49 PM   #24
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

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Earth chi infused Metal: Makes a really soft clay like metal, great for artists and sculpting, potentially very useful but I'm not sure what for
A chi master can infuse chi into metal and soften a gate enough to rip it open. They can also pull the chi out so a chi artist can mold metal and then reharden it when they have it shaped to what they want.
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Old 05-24-2020, 12:22 AM   #25
Christopher R. Rice
 
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

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Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless View Post
Shenshou sound super cool and like the type of mechanic that would be really satisfying advancement for players.

You mentioned alchemy is a thing so just brainstorming supernatural materials that alchemy and magic could produce.
Ignoring elements with negative relationships with one another (which should absolutely matter) and assuming that the creation of these substances requires something like Create (cosmic: essential element, transformation only: normal to cosmic)
Air chi infused Metal: might be substantially lighter, which wouldn't matter too much for fencing weapons but for other weapons would substantially impact the leverage involved, potentially eliminating the offensive benefits of using a levered striking surface but making quick parries easier. Would make heavy armor less encumbering, which is highly desirable. Could also make a variety of low tech vehicles that proved too heavy for muscle power or for the materials of the time to hold up sufficiently viable to be used if you could procure enough of the metal, such as davinci's flying machine, or armored wagons.
Earth chi infused Metal: Makes a really soft clay like metal, great for artists and sculpting, potentially very useful but I'm not sure what for
Fire chi infused Metal: A metal that naturally burns at all times with a relatively cool fire. Flaming swords are an obvious one. This could also be used in battlements to thoroughly discourage the use of ladders.
Metal chi infused Metal: Classic essential metal: 3x as strong and mostly won't degrade.
Water chi infused Metal: Great for making high flexibility metals that allow plate armor over areas where there is often trade-off of defense vs. flexibility such as the abdomen or shoulders. Also, high flexibility metals could yield good springs and I'm not enough of a mechanic to foresee all the ramifications of that sort of thing.
Wood chi infused Metal: Metal that sort of "grows": give it water and sunlight and it'll make minor repairs to itself over time within reason. Highly prized by Xia for the reduced cost of maintenance, especially on armor which sees a beating and is expensive.

Not everything alchemists produce is good for society:
Fire Wine: Illegal everywhere, this infamous party drug of the rich is still produced by disreputable alchemists with a talent for fire-magic, who find they can fetch a very high price for it on the black market. The liquid is a dark brownish red, with the red color coming out strongly when light shines through it, and is perpetually on fire when exposed to air. It is actually a combination of condensed black tea and distilled rice-wine, infused with fire-chi (or fire magic). The fire-chi(/magic) enhances the stimulent qualities of the tea and the intensity of the alcohol, while reinforcing the individuals yang energies into dominance. A single shot of the alcohol acts as quadruple strength spirits (B439) and a strong stimulant (B440), while also giving the individual a yang dominant chi imbalance causing them to gain Impulsiveness (12), Lecherousness (12), a quirk level desire for easy pleasures, noticably hot and dry skin, -2 to HT rolls to resist disease, -3 to HT rolls to resist the effects of heat, and +2 to HT rolls to resist the effects of cold. If he already has those mental disadvantages the self control number gets two steps worse (anything worse than a 6 means he's completely incapable of resisting his impulses!). Make a HT-2 roll after 3d hours, and again for each hour thereafter, to shake off these chi-imbalance effects. The intoxication and stimulant effects wear off normally for those things. However, when the Yang imbalance fades it is replaced with a Yin imbalance "low" in which the individual gains Bully (12) largely expressed through a quirk level tendency to spiteful remarks, lecherousness (12), noticeably clammy skin, -2 to HT rolls to resist disease; -3 to HT rolls to resist the effects of cold, and +2 to HT rolls to resist the effects of heat. The Yin imbalance lasts as long as the Yang imbalance did.
All of this is going into my campaign bible. :-)

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A chi master can infuse chi into metal and soften a gate enough to rip it open. They can also pull the chi out so a chi artist can mold metal and then reharden it when they have it shaped to what they want.
My thoughts exactly.


Edit: I wanted to start another thread entirely so I excised part of this.
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Last edited by Christopher R. Rice; 05-24-2020 at 12:34 AM.
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Old 05-29-2020, 11:03 AM   #26
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

So, a new question. What simple enchantments might be widespread in a large city or town? I'm thinking purifying drinking water is big amongst those, but what else?
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Old 05-29-2020, 11:08 AM   #27
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

Taking care of sewage has traditionally been a large part of making a city work.
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Old 05-29-2020, 11:34 AM   #28
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

Can you create ever-burning fire that doesn't use up fuel? that would be a popular enchantment. People like light during the night, and its the sort of thing that marks a place as important.



This is more of a village thing, but fertility enchantments for crops seem like a slam dunk economically. Perhaps they might even be attuned to specific crops?
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Old 05-29-2020, 11:56 AM   #29
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

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Taking care of sewage has traditionally been a large part of making a city work.
Yeah. I'm thinking Magically manipulated stone can create some large sound structures. And it gives adventurers something to splash around in as well.

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Can you create ever-burning fire that doesn't use up fuel? that would be a popular enchantment. People like light during the night, and its the sort of thing that marks a place as important.
"Witchlight" is basically this and something that I've been using in the campaign setting.

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This is more of a village thing, but fertility enchantments for crops seem like a slam dunk economically. Perhaps they might even be attuned to specific crops?
I'm thinking this is a definite. It's one of the reasons why famines are probably pretty rare - they can grow food fast in the growing season and then store it for the rest of the year.
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Old 05-29-2020, 12:02 PM   #30
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Default Re: Common Magic for a TL3 Wuxia Fantasy Campaign

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So, a new question. What simple enchantments might be widespread in a large city or town? I'm thinking purifying drinking water is big amongst those, but what else?
GURPS Thaumatology - Urban Magics gives a lot of things to consider when making a town or city in a magical world. It's generic to cover all TLs, but it should give you many ideas of what to incorporate.

But real quickly, I would say: water and sewers, waste disposal (disintegrate), light, heating, and food production/preservation/storage would be the primary concerns of a community writ large.

Then throw in transportation of cargo and communication as the next level.
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